Through April 29, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the arrival of spring with a series of events, mostly taking place in parks and green spaces around the city.

Highlights include the Sakura Days Japan Fair at VanDusen Botanical Garden on April 14 and 15, the Big Picnic at Queen Elizabeth Park on April 14 from 12 to 3 p.m., Spring Lights Illumination at Queen Elizabeth Park on April 14 from 8 to 10 p.m., and the Sakura Night Gala at Stanley Park Pavilion on April 22. 

In a recent interview about the Big Picnic, Linda Poole, executive director of VCBF, told the Straight “All winter, I don’t see my neighbour and everybody is hibernating. But now, with the weather warming up, people are starting to come out of their cocoons and it’s such a great opportunity to chill out. We are so fortunate here in Vancouver that our blossoms are accessible. Where else can you do this in Canada? We are so lucky.”

Tickets for Sakura Days Japan Fair range from $4.25 to $12 (plus taxes and fees). Tickets for Sakura Night Gala are $160 plus tax (readers can use promo code GSSN10 to receive the early bird price of $152.50; ticket sales end April 18 at midnight). All other events are free of charge.